Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Locarno Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Locarno

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,948 in Locarno.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $4,638 in Locarno.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $6,328 in Locarno.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 22% less than in Locarno, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Locarno 116% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$27.42 CHF 22.54

-35.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$125 CHF 103

-49.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$18.56 CHF 15.25

-37.61%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.00 CHF 4.11

-38.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.17

$5.17 CHF 4.25

-51.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$4.37 CHF 3.59

-60.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$8.55 CHF 7.03

-59.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$6.09 CHF 5.01

-43.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.17 CHF 1.78

-47.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$3.86 CHF 3.17

-50.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$3.16 CHF 2.60

-52.53%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$7.60 CHF 6.25

-47.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$26.17 CHF 21.51

-49.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$16.30 CHF 13.39

-50.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$37.10 CHF 30.49

-51.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.12 CHF 2.56

-24.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.61 CHF 1.32

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.11 CHF 1.74

-12.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.61 CHF 2.97

-29.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.31 CHF 1.08

40.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.80 CHF 1.48

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$2.01 CHF 1.65

-25.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.23 CHF 1.01

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$11.13 CHF 9.15

-36.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$13.15 CHF 10.81

-55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$3.12 CHF 2.57

-58.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.05 CHF 2.50

-30.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.72 CHF 2.23

-13.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$97.8 CHF 80.3

-52.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$12.08 CHF 9.92

-66.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.50 CHF 2.06

-54.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$61.8 CHF 50.8

-72.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.25 CHF 1.85

2.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.1K €29.7K

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

-11.22%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.4K €36.0K

$39.8K CHF 32.7K

3.87%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$169 €147

$482 CHF 396

-65.01%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.33 €16.83

$27.07 CHF 22.25

-28.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$58.2 CHF 47.83

-42.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$73.5 CHF 60.4

-33.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

$30.26 CHF 24.86

-35.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$20.57 CHF 16.91

-53.48%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$696 €606

$1,486 CHF 1,221

-53.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$19.6K CHF 16.1K

-11.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$99.8 CHF 82.0

5.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$58.2 CHF 47.83

-17.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$97.4 CHF 80.0

3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$121 CHF 99.5

2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$1,033 CHF 849

60.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$1,045 CHF 859

19.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$2,457 CHF 2,019

20.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$2,247 CHF 1,846

-8.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$8,022 CHF 6,593

-2.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$6,260 CHF 5,144

-28.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$6,889 CHF 5,662

-76.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

1.93

95.85%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Locarno: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,033 in Locarno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Locarno pays 322% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $125 in Locarno for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $505 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Locarno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Locarno differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,948 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 322% lower in Locarno. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,033 in Locarno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $1,486 in Locarno. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Locarno. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,948 in Locarno, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Locarno. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Locarno are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Locarno. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.